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Open thread
- By Phillip Brownlee
- Posted April 29, 2007 at 1:10 a.m.
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As a college student and for awhile afterward, I was BLUE, a Democrat. Then about 1972, during a snowstorm in Kansas City, I read FOUNTAINHEAD by Ayn Rand and transitioned to RED, Republican.From Ayn Rand, I came to appreciate society’s “individualists,” the “Howard Roarks” … the entrepreneurs, business people, contractors, real estate developers, manufacturers … those who made our economic clock work. To hell with the compromising “Ellsworth Tooheys” of Ayn Rand’s FOUNTAINHEAD.
However, from the 1990’s on, government has insiduously crept into all facets of life in the U.S. Virtually every business activity is under the heavy hand of many self-rightous governments, spinning, weaving, dipping, dancing, generally uncoordinated, in an effort to appear to be doing something positive “for the people” but mostly protecting their own jobs.
Red or Blue, it doesn’t really matter.
So, although I am still registered “Red,” I consider myself moderate and now pick and choose candidates on their claims (which are rarely adhered to when they get in office) so I “vote for the man/woman, not for the party.”
And I am becoming “GREEN.” That is extremely concerned about the direction our environment is going. I don’t wear green hats, clothes or socks — but I am becoming a “tree-hugger,” horror of horrors!
I see the future of CLEAN DRINKING WATER at a dangerous cross roads in Kansas. At this point, I see very few politicians speaking up about or even understanding the attacks on our Kansas relatively pure drinking water that is hidden away in our underground aquifers, generally the rapidly depleting Ogallala aquifer. Attacks are coming from the electric power and ethanol industries encouraged by politicians.
Also, in the spirit of my old “economic conservatism,” I no longer see a valid “CHECK AND BALANCE” or incentive to political incumbents to REFRAIN from spending future tax dollars in the form of “borrowing taxes through bonds or other means,” usually on the basis of some special “vision for the future.”
This is being done either without a vote by “country bookkeeping” or by government actually supporting one side, their side, of issues with tax monies, creating uneven, unfair, playing fields impossible for citizens to fight. The 1/3 billion dollar white elephant downtown arena being the best example I can think of.
This puts the obligation to “repay” this borrowed money on some future elected sheep in wolves clothing politician who will passively say “Oh yes, I see my mission as paying back those borrowings by the geniuses from past years who incurred this debt for who knows what.”
Sorry, Spiderman, I don’t think this is going to happen.
On Bill Maher’s show last night there was some quick mention of Dems uniting with the GOP’s on some oil deals this past week — tried to research that to no avail — any one know what that might be about ?
JWink — welcome to the light of moderation / independents (?) You will find that you’re new found independence refreshing — no longer have to buy into anyone else’s thought process / ideas — policies with little evaluation on your part —- 3 cheers and a boo-rah to you ….
should be Hoo – rah
Good points Wink. A new book called “Thirst-Fighting the Corporate Theft of Our Water is out that calls into question the theft of our drinking water and the privatization of our water systems.
If you think private ownership of toll roads is bad, think about private ownership of the trust that has been our public water.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389×771686
And before anyone starts whining about DU… here is the original link. Good comments at DU though.
http://www.josseybass.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-0787984582.html
Oh, and the Rude One is still having technical difficulties, as you will see. However, just follow the instructions at the top of the page.
You can read what he had to say about george and laura shakin’ their booties to the African beat this week.
As usual, rude language and gales of laughter will assault you at his website. But if you are not humor impaired…
http://www.rudepundit.blogspot.com/
http://www.antiwar.com/reese/?articleid=3160
Incompetent Imperialistsby Charley Reese
There is an American Empire, but we should dump it, because we Americans are woefully incompetent when it comes to maintaining empires.
One mistake that seems to be a permanent feature of our foreign policy is mirror-imaging. So many American politicians, most of them poorly educated and ignorant of other people and their cultures, tend to think other people are just like us. A great many are not.
Lyndon Johnson failed in Vietnam because he thought he could treat the Vietnamese the same way he treated members of the U.S. House and Senate. Johnson always used a stick and a carrot. Vote with me, and you’ll get pork-barrel rewards; vote against me, and I’ll find a way to punish you. That worked with American politicians, most of whom are nothing more than officeholders with “for sale or rent” signs on their foreheads.
Johnson told the North Vietnamese, make peace, and I’ll give you billions of dollars in American aid; don’t make peace, and I’ll bomb you. Unfortunately for Johnson, the North Vietnamese, whatever their other faults, were not for sale, nor were they willing to succumb to threats. They wanted to unify their country, and they were willing to fight as long as necessary to achieve that. As it turned out, we were not willing to fight as long as necessary to prevent it. So, despite billions of dollars, despite 57,000 dead, despite a quarter of a million wounded, Vietnam is today a unified communist country.
President George W. Bush has offered a $25 million reward for Osama bin Laden. He thought, apparently, that like most Americans, the Afghans and Pakistanis were for sale. Despite Afghanistan being one of the poorest countries in the world, the American millions have not produced a single traitor willing to rat out bin Laden.
The difference with the downtown arena, is that you are not forced to pay for it if you don’t want. It’s not being paid for by bonds.
By spending your money out of the county. You can go to Augusta, El Dorado, Hutchinson, Newton or anywhere else outside of Sedgwick County. By doing that, you will not spend a single penny on the downtown arena.
Although I disagree wholeheartedly with JWink on many issues, because he misconstrued the facts and he lies a lot and has a personal vendetta for the reasonings. I wouldn’t trust him to hold a dime for me. But that’s my opinion.
But I do agree with him on the aquifer issue.
Joe, I find it odd that someone who claims to be a Libertarian and hate Leftist(which makes your support of Raj Goyle odd) would support raising taxes and using tax dollars to fund things like the arena, waterwalk, etc when it is a form of Communism for the state to fund business in such ways, Communism also being a discredited far left idealogy.
Well Tom Paine! What you say isn’t communism.
So your entire argument holds no water.
Try again!
Maybe Socialism then but thats just as bad. Just the bastard child of marxism, or worse some sort of corprate marxim
morg,
The reason that people don’t report the location of Osama Bin Laden is:
(1) They don’t know his location; we are talking about a hand-full of people who know his actual location.(2) He lives in the Muslim part of society that supports his cause.(3) They fear greatly the reprisals on their families that will occur if they do report his location.(4) They are unsure they will get the money if he is reported.
Joe let me break my arguments down for you.
You claim to be a Libertarian, One of the core principles of Libertarians is not using government to do things that Private Enterprise can do. So how does using tax dollars to fund the waterwalk and arena fit in with libertarian idealogy?
Libertarian oppose taxation expect for the funding of essential government services, I don’t believe that the arena passes as a essential government service.
Hating leftists but liking Ray Goyle just doesn’t make sense, Like hating conservatives but thinks Phil Journey is good
and how is the city fund private business not Communism/socialism
American Water was owned by RWE AG, a German utilities company. They are trying to sell it, and I have no info on whether or not they have. They were cited numerous times for raising rates at a higher rate than called for and decreasing maintenance on water plants.
They owned water rights for over 1300 communities in 23 states. The Bush administration is pushing for private ownership of as much water rights as possible.
Since water is the one thing we can’t live without, private ownership seems to be a choice that should not be allowed. The problem, though, is many municipalities can’t afford to keep their water system up to governmental and environmental specs. Kind of a catch 22. Something on the roots level will have to be done to correct the problem. Just what, I’m not sure.
If Joe Williams is a libertarian, I’m Bill Clinton; not even close.
Well Tom Paine! I disagree with your assessment.
The downtown arena is a replacement of the Kansas Coliseum. Back in 2004, before the general election, the Sedgwick County Commission, upon several years of study and consultants decided that it was time to renovate the Kansas Coliseum.
The reasoning is that it had looming lawsuits on ADA compliant issues and the Brit Brown Arena needed some serious work, including a new roof and redoing the concourses. Upon that the Commission decided to go ahead with the project to renovate the Kansas Coliseum. The cost would be somewhere in the neighborhood around $90 to $120 million dollars when all said in done. Since the county didn’t have any surplus money to pay for a huge project like that, they would have to issue 20 year bonds to fund the project, costing the county millions of wasted dollars on interest payments to those investors who would buy the bonds, on top of only property owners would be hit with paying the bonds.
Now this was already approved by the County Commission and they were going to move forward. But also the bad thing about this project that it would take a year and a half to complete. Basically they would close the Coliseum for a year and a half. Meaning not one single event would come to the area for that long. No concerts, no Sesame Street Live, no Thunder (they would have to spend two seasons in Topeka), no Monster Trucks, no gun shows, no rodeos, no circus or anything for a year and a half.
But the city had something on the shelve. And they propose an alternative to the county. They proposed building a new arena to replace the Brit Brown, funding by a sales tax and therefore no interruption of events coming to our area. It came to a vote and passed.
Now! I believe that arenas are public entertainment venues and add to the quality of life to a community, much like parks, nature centers, zoos and walking/bike paths. It is not intended to be a profit operation, but a venue to hold and provide entertainment and other attractions that help build a quality of life for our community. And a metro area as large as Wichita should have a venue like that.
The WaterWalk is all done by private money and investors. The city’s portion is in the infrastructure and utilities. Streets, parking and a public amphitheater. That city’s portion, again, is public and open to all and the funds the city will pay for the infrastructure will be paid by the taxes collected exclusively in the WaterWalk district. If you never go there to buy anything at Gander Mountian or eat at any of the upcoming restaurants or shop any of the upcoming stores, there isn’t a single penny coming out of your pocket.
So all taxes on these projects are voluntarily. You are not forced to pay for it if you don’t want to. You just have to go outside the county or out of the WaterWalk.
Keep in mind! Your so called other projects in other towns are not all capitalist either. Take for instances Wild West World or the new Hartman Arena that’s coming to Park City. Park City gave these projects 20 year tax abatements and IRB’s. Yet people think that it’s a meca of growth and capitalism and being touted as a symbol of what cities should do? Yet projects in Wichita are called Communist? Park City will never benefit from those projects, but Wichita will with the arena and WaterWalk. Case in point! Go a half a block east or west from the interstate and see who “great” Park City really is. With bad roads and no development, empty strip malls and overgrown drainage ditches. They don’t have a single big box store, yet people think what Park City doing is fantastic and capitalist?
You want to city a more progressive city. Go to Derby or Andover. Derby has a Lowes, Wal-Mart, many restaurants and businesses and getting a Kohls and will spur huge development. Same with Andover. Nobody talks about them?
And Raj Goyle is no leftist. Not all Democrats are leftist.
Yes I am Libertarian. But I do believe in adding to the quality of life for our community. I do support taxes to pay for things like parks, arenas, zoos, airports, roads, bridges, bike trails, public transportation, ports and the list goes on.
A communist/socialist project would be that we are all forced to pay for the Arena and then we all have to live, eat and sleep there.
The only reason why you call them communist/socialist/marxist project, because you think it will get under my skin, but it doesn’t. I just laugh at you guys for failing to make any case.
Try again!
I have never supported the notion to impeach GWB — next in line was too scary ……. but now …..
I heard about this last night —
By accepting the Purple Heart he is discrediting and disgracing every soldier, sailor and airman that served our country
.. it is not the way to support our troops.
Laura stated they feel the same pain as the families that have lost loved ones? — What a f***kng insult —
WASHINGTON – Bill and Georgia Thomas reported they were elated Monday when they met in the Oval Office with President George W. Bush to present him with a Purple Heart.
“We were just absolutely bowled over. Without reservation, it was one of the highlights of our life. He was such a gracious host,” Thomas said. “It was just an incredible, incredible experience.”
The couple was able to meet with President Bush for about 20 minutes to present him with one of three Purple Hearts that Bill Thomas received during his service in Vietnam.
“He said he didn’t feel like he had earned it,” Thomas said, noting the president looked thinner in person than on television.
Thomas said he and his wife came up with the unprecedented idea to present the president with the Purple Heart over breakfast one morning a few months ago as they discussed the verbal attacks, both foreign and domestic, the commander in chief has withstood during his time in office.
“We feel like emotional wounds and scars are as hard to carry as physical wounds,” Thomas said.
This story is jaw-dropping on all kinds of levels. Consider: Then-Congressman George H. W. Bush used his considerable political power to jump Junior to the top of a list of over 500 applicants for his Texas Air National Guard position as a pilot, despite his receiving the minimum passing score on the pilot entrance aptitude test, and listing no other qualifications. In a 1994 interview, Bush stated that he joined the Guard because “I was not prepared to shoot my eardrum out with a shotgun in order to get a deferment. Nor was I willing to go to Canada. So I chose to better myself by learning how to fly airplanes.” After the American taxpayers paid $1 million to train the young aviator, he went AWOL.
Rebuilt Iraq Projects Found Crumbling
By JAMES GLANZPublished: April 29, 2007
“…The United States has previously admitted, sometimes under pressure from federal inspectors, that some of its reconstruction projects have been abandoned, delayed or poorly constructed. But this is the first time inspectors have found that projects officially declared a success — in some cases, as little as six months before the latest inspections — were no longer working properly.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/29/world/middleeast/29reconstruct.html?hp
Joe Williams, if I want to leave the county to spend my money, I have to incur extra cost to do that, don’t I?
Joe Williams, you are an embarrassment to anyone who calls themselves libertarian. A terrible embarrassment. You believe in libertarianism until something you want that conflicts with principles of liberty comes along — like a government arena. Then you lose whatever principles you had.
You are no better than a garden variety Republican or Democrat.
Joe Williams, please do not call yourself a libertarian again.
Please.
Sigh!
anonymous! You have no idea what you are talking about. If you don’t want to pay for an arena, then you don’t have to.
You can also go live somewhere else. Your choice.
I am a libertarian and proud of it!
Scathing Article by One of the Armys Own — most recent Armed Forces Journal ……..
http://www.armedforcesjournal.com/2007/05/2635198
exerpts:
A Failure in GeneralshipBy Lt. Col. Paul Yingling
“You officers amuse yourselves with God knows what buffooneries and never dream in the least of serious service. This is a source of stupidity which would become most dangerous in case of a serious conflict.”- Frederick the Great
…………..The Responsibilities of GeneralshipArmies do not fight wars; nations fight wars. War is not a military activity conducted by soldiers, but rather a social activity that involves entire nations. Prussian military theorist Carl von Clausewitz noted that passion, probability and policy each play their role in war. Any understanding of war that ignores one of these elements is fundamentally flawed.The passion of the people is necessary to endure the sacrifices inherent in war. Regardless of the system of government, the people supply the blood and treasure required to prosecute war.
The passion of the people is necessary to endure the sacrifices inherent in war. Regardless of the system of government, the people supply the blood and treasure required to prosecute war. The statesman must stir these passions to a level commensurate with the popular sacrifices required. When the ends of policy are small, the statesman can prosecute a conflict without asking the public for great sacrifice.
However much it is influenced by passion and probability, war is ultimately an instrument of policy and its conduct is the responsibility of policymakers. War is a social activity undertaken on behalf of the nation;
America’s generals not only failed to develop a strategy for victory in Vietnam, but also remained largely silent while the strategy developed by civilian politicians led to defeat.
Republican states as fact something that is entirely unknowable–why no one has come forward to rat out Bin Laden.
No wonder he supports Bush, the past master of stating the “unknown fact” which must be true, until it’s not.
“Those people who say we haven’t found weapons of mass destruction [in Iraq] are wrong. We found them. We found them.”
George W.= Worst-President-Ever Bush
J-Wink,
When we are young and ignorant, we all fall victim to Ayn Randism.
We think that the individual is the be all and the end all.
Then we get some experience in the real world and see that “we’re all in this together.”
Howard Roark and Henry Reardon are not portraits of real people. They are a little Russian girl’s view of big, strong men.
It takes a village to solve the problems we’ve got today, not a benevolant Nietschean “uber mensch.”
Joe,you’re a libertarian in name only. The views you espouse on this blog portray a republican with right-wing views. Libertarians have a far different view of what’s right for this country. They are in no way tied to the views you express.
Libertarians views are for the most part deliver my mail and protect my borders. All else is up for grabs. You have time and again stood for the war in Iraq. No Libertarian worth his party is for that war.
I’m for the war because we are there.
I am not for a timetable to leave Iraq.
I have time and time again have expressed that we could have exercise a better option than invading Iraq the Bush way.
But if we are there, then I support the war. The war will end whenever the President says it ends, not when the Democratic Party says it ends.
I respect the rule of law, the secession of and delination of the granted powers of our constitution.
I am a libertarian. But you don’t have to step in line for 100% of the entire platform of a political party. I am an individual first! That is more libertarian than anything else. There is not “Be the Sheep” “follow the flock” mentality like there is for being a Democrat.
See JM Walker. You have no idea what it means to be a libertarian. I will explain it to you simply! It’s like being an American. You have different views, different traditions and different desires. It’s loving liberty and freedom. You can’t understand that because you are a leftist Democrat.
As a leftist, you have to think alike, have the same thoughts and express the same angry words. There is no individualism when you are a leftist. You either are on the plantation or you are off. As what you do to your own, such as Joe Lieberman, when he has a different view. But Lieberman is still a Democrat, but in your eyes, he’s a traitor and been corrupted. He’s a run-away slave in your eyes.
This is on the Libertarian Party’s website on the link: Are you a Libertarian. They start out with the Webster’s dictionary entry for that word.
Pronunciation: “li-b&r-’ter-E-&nFunction: noun1 : an advocate of the doctrine of free will2 a : a person who upholds the principles of absolute and unrestricted liberty especially of thought and action b capitalized : a member of a political party advocating libertarian principles
Thank you very much!
Better start wearing a red arm band JM Walker or the leftist won’t think you are left enough.
Joe,I am anything BUT a lockstep democrat. I am well aware that Lieberman is still, and always will be, a democrat. What he did was his decision, and he won in doing so. The voters spoke, didn’t they. Free will in action. Imagine that.
I was a confirmed republican UNTIL George ” the decider” Bush Stared lying to the American people.
I am against the war because it was sold on lies, and has been the cause of many of our finest dying on foreign shores. I will, however, back our troops to the fullest. I am a Viet Nam vet, and have nothing but respect for our fighting forces.
I am also against the war because it has done absolutely nothing to stop terrorism in the world, and in no way can it. It has, however, created a new generation of America haters, and that really bothers me, as it should any true American. It has deposed a tinpot dictator; one of many in the world. Do we go after them as well?
I think every penny spent on this “war” should have gone to assist the needy in this country, many of which are starving children, of which you think there are not any.
I think the same money should have gone towards universal health care. For the very reason there are many in this country who are unable to care for themselves. But your Libertarian view includes those same people spending their money on cable tv. I applaud your disrespect for human life; if you don’t, or can’t, see it, it doesn’t exist, right?
But spend a third of a billion dollars on an unneeded downtown arena is okay by your standards. What that arena represents is the city councils legacy in history. Time will tell if it’s a good thing or a dead soldier.
My arm band is red, white and blue. Yours lacks color and definition.
Great post, JM.
Thank you!
JM, I think that Joe doesn’t know what Leftist’s are. It seems a Leftist is anyone who disagree’s with him. On another thread he tried to say Hitler was a Leftist, And the arena is socialism, so is the waterwalgk, Gander mountain would not be here if not for the 5 million dollar handout from the us the taxpayer.
Well said, J. M. Walker! Amen, bro.
Well JM Walker. You traded security for freedom.
You belong to a generation of men raised by women.
Sorry! There is no starving people in America! That is a complete myth. Malnutrition? Yes! Because of poor dietary habits with some children. But we do everything possible to help people. We have WIC, School breakfast and lunch programs, meals on wheels, homeless shelters, food banks and the list goes on. We are doing something about it. You guys act like nothing is being done, but it is. The largest portion of the federal budget goes to SS, SSDI, HHS and all the programs to help people in this country. Yes! Even more than the military.
I disagree with universal health care. I think people should pay out of pocket for their own routine health care and prescriptions drugs. We have programs that help the poor and illegal immigrants of our country to receive health care and that shouldn’t go away. But everybody else should pay for their own. Now I will agree that the government should have a catastrophic insurance for all Americans. If you get into an accident or have a sudden heart attack or stroke or any onset disease that required immidate but very expensive care, should be covered by the government, because an average person will not be able to afford it. But to have the government control the entire health system will be very bad policy.
I disagreed with Bush reasoning for going into Iraq. But again, as I say, if we are in, then I’m with the soldiers and support them to win the war. Telling the soldiers the war is lost and setting time tables for withdrawal is a slap in the face to those who have died serving in the forces. You ask any solider coming home from Iraq that they lost the war and can’t finish the job and you will get a frown from them. It’s despicable to let them hang like that for political purposes. But like Democrats, the party of polls, they could care less, it’s a political football for them.
Downtown Arena? As a property owner you would be spending more money in property taxes to renovate the Coliseum then you would be paying a penny sales tax for the Downtown Arena. The downtown arena is saving you money. Money spent on an arena was coming regardless! Pick the Coliseum or a new one. I choose the downtown arena because it was a better option, cheaper for everybody, spreads the burden and the poor wouldn’t have to pay anything. It was the libertarian option! It was the compassionate option!
I don’t disrespect human life! You spend all the energy trying to tell me what I am not! Meaning that you only mold me into a subhuman because I don’t think like you. That is leftist ideology. One that doesn’t respect individualism or freedom, but one of collectivism and security.
Blobal Warming:
The 229 Scientific Publications Cosmos fails to mention by Dr. Lindzen.
http://www-eaps.mit.edu/faculty/lindzen/PublicationsRSL.html
Professor Lindzen is a dynamical meteorologist with interests in the broad topics of climate, planetary waves, monsoon meteorology, planetary atmospheres, and hydrodynamic instability. His research involves studies of the role of the tropics in mid-latitude weather and global heat transport, the moisture budget and its role in global change, the origins of ice ages, seasonal effects in atmospheric transport, stratospheric waves, and the observational determination of climate sensitivity. Prof. Lindzen is a recipient of the AMS’s Meisinger, and Charney Awards, and AGU’s Macelwane Medal. He is a corresponding member of the NAS Committee on Human Rights, a member of the NRC Board on Atmospheric Sciences and Climate, and a Fellow of the AAAS1. He is a consultant to the Global Modeling and Simulation Group at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, and a Distinguished Visiting Scientist at California Institute of Technology’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. (Ph.D., ‘64, S.M., ‘61, A.B., ‘60, Harvard University)
Joe,”Sorry! There is no starving people in America! That is a complete myth.”
Bull S**t!http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0308/S00011.htmhttp://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,253899,00.html
As I said, If you can’t, won’t or don’t want to see it, it ain’t there. Keep your blinders on, boy, cause then it won’t bother you, if it would anyway. While there are many excellent programs (ya, I know: you hate having your tax dollars used on the needy), there are still places in this country where those tax dollars don’t reach; hence, the starving children. But you keep on being a ditto-head, and do rush proud.
Men raised by women? That’s the best you can come up with? All the more reason for ignoring your “libertarian” ramblings. I was raised by both parents, and it would seem they taught me a whole lot better then yours did. By the way, I did not use family to insult you, but I can do that very effectively.
“Telling the soldiers the war is lost and setting time tables for withdrawal is a slap in the face to those who have died serving in the forces.”
What do you think it is to send soldiers over there in a war started by lies? A vacation? You don’t think those soldiers are dying because of the worst president ever? You remind me of the movies where some moron is holding a gun to someones head, and tells the other person, “it’s your fault if I shoot him.”
But you keep on with your “libertarian” ways. Hopefully, the rest of the country will use some intelligence to see to it your candidate, if he or she professes your beliefs, doesn’t make it past the primaries.
The Beagle Dog printed their Profiles in Courage column on page 6 (maybe 4 – I didn’t / won’t buy it — read it at Mickey D’s) that recognized a soldier with a short bio, and listed the casualties for the week there also — I was unable to find a link to it on the Dog’s web page ….
The Beagle should honor those soldiers on Page 1 ….
“O God, our Heavenly Father, we remember before Thee this day,those who laid down their lives in the service of their country.We remember their courage and devotion to the Sovereign and the country they served.We pray that their labours be not in vain but that their spirit may live on in us and the generations to come.We pray that liberty, truth and love may spread over all the world ’til war shall cease to be.We remember our brethren who are in sickness or distress.We remember the widows and other dependants.We dedicate ourselves to Thy service in the name of those whose memory we revere.We ask this in the name of our Lord.” “Amen”
Republican,
“The 229 Scientific Publications Cosmos fails to mention by Dr. Lindzen.”
You actually believe that op-eds in the WSJ, “comments”, a memoir, etc are “Scientific Publications”?
And HOW do Lindzen’s past papers change the FACT that his op-eds are inaccurate and deceptive?
Name the climate scientists who support Lindzen’s Iris theory. Even Lindzen does not anymore.
Co-author of #229, Bob Carter, studies rock layers,http://www.desmogblog.com/node/1557
Daniel Kirk-Davidoff co-authored 3 papers with Lindzen. He’s written a detailed rebuttal of one of Lindzen’s op-eds.http://www.realclimate.org/index.php/archives/2006/04/lindzen-point-by-point/
http://www.realclimate.org/index.php/archives/2006/04/open-thread-on-lindzen-op-ed-in-wsj/
“Because we don’t think about future generations, they will never forget us.” Henrik Tikkanen
Anyone want to defend his Hitlerjugend comment?
‘Richard Lindzen: Exxon is principled; school teachers are like Hitler’http://gristmill.grist.org/story/2007/4/27/124632/088“Q … On a recent Grade 7 test my daughter was asked something to the effect of, “How are you going to educate your parents about global warming?”
A I know. It’s straight out of Hitlerjugend.”
“Red or Blue, it doesn’t really matter.”
The hell it doesn’t matter! It matters greatly. That is like saying “wicked or good, it doesn’t really matter”. You are either part of the problem (Republican) or part of the solution (Democrat). You either hate the poor, homeless, immigrants, minorities and children (Republicans) or you think that everybody is important in America (Democrats). You either think that the country should be a class based society where the super rich collect more and more of the nation’s wealth (Republican) or you think that people who work everyday and make this country run deserve a fair shake (Democrat). The difference between a Republican and a Democrat is basic. If a Republican and a Democrat both come across a stray dog, the Democrat will pick the dog up and see if it can be saved and, if not, humanely end its life. The Republican’s first resort is to shoot the dog on the spot or leave it to suffer and die. This parable applies to the way they think about everything. To them destruction and death are always a first and only solution to every problem. I could never be a Republican. I would vote for a yellow dog before I would a Republican. And when I die someday I will go to that great blue state in the sky while the Republicans will mostly go to their great red state down under!
The Republicans don’t care anything about the environment! Global warming, like the huge deficits they are racking up, will have to be paid for by our kids and grandkids long after these Republicans have left departed Earth for Hell!
Cosmos suffers from lack of reading comprehension, doesn’t know the difference between scientific paper briefs in the hyperlink shown and op-eds.
He just likes to discredit Scientists because he has no education to do so and can.
As a high school drop out, Cosmos is on top of the situation…not.
Republican,
YOU are the one with severe reading comprehension problems.
YOU incorrectly claimed there were “229″. YOU claimed that these are “Scientific Publications”.
http://www-eaps.mit.edu/faculty/lindzen/PublicationsRSL.html“32. (1969) The latke, the hamantasch and the (m)oral crisis in the university. The Jewish Digest, 15, 55-58.
218. Kennel, C.F., R.S. Lindzen, and W. Munk (2004) William Aaron Nierenberg (1919-2000) – A biographical MEMOIR. Biographical Memoirs of the N.A.S., 85, 1-20.
226. Lindzen, R.S. (2006) Climate of Fear, WALL STREET JOURNAL, April 12, 2006.
227. Lindzen, R.S. (2006) There is no ‘consensus’ on global warming, WALL STREET JOURNAL, June 26, 2006.
228. Lindzen, R.S. (2006) Debunking the Myth. BUSINESS TODAY, 43, 66-67.
229. Robert M. CARTER, C. R. de Freitas, Indur M. Goklany, David Holland & Richard S. Lindzen (2006) The Stern Review: A Dual Critique, Part I: The Science, WORLD ECONOMICS, 7, ??-??”
YOU also incorrectly claimed that the “comments”, “reply” to comments, Geopaedia Encyclopedic Dictionary, etc are “Scientific Publications”.
Instead of replying to my simple, obvious question:
“And HOW do Lindzen’s past papers change the FACT that his op-eds are inaccurate and deceptive?”
… you post FALSE statements about my education. That’s very, very weak.
The IPCC’s Working Group 1, 4th Assessment report (AR4) is now available in PDF’s. Index and supplements are “pending”, but probably will be up soon.
http://ipcc-wg1.ucar.edu/wg1/wg1-report.html
Be sure to watch the expose’ on the Global Warming Religion on Wednesday evening on CNN Headline News.
It’s called: ‘Exposed: A Climate of Fear’
Who’s responsible for global warming and what can be done to fix it? Why would someone be harassed just for raising questions? Glenn Beck takes on the media hype surrounding the global warming debate and asks whether some proposed solutions would do more harm than good.
——–
For those Gorites out there that have been hammering people to watch the Al Gore Movie, need to watch ‘Exposed: A Climate of Fear’.
All op Ed pieces referenced by Cosmos. Not one of the 249 scientific papers from Lindznen.
But what can expect from a high school dropout like Cosmos.
“Beck argues that global climate change is always occurring, but he is skeptical of the scientific opinion on climate change that global warming is largely attributable to human activity and that it may pose a threat to human civilization. Beck argues there is an under-reporting of scientific findings that do not support the theory of human-created global warming, or global climate change as he calls it.”
Beck appears to be another rush clone, with typical head-in-the-sand fear of scientific knowledge. I’ll watch it, but I will take it with a grain of salt.
Sorry Grm — I thought I had posted the link:
http://www.crooksandliars.com/2007/04/23/decorated-texas-vet-to-present-g-dub-with-a-purple-heart/
…. it credits The Cove Herald …
Republican,
“All op Ed pieces referenced by Cosmos. Not one of the 249 scientific papers from Lindznen.”
‘Happy Hour’ started already?
Your link had 229 (not 249) and many of those were NOT “scientific papers”.
Lindzen’s Iris theory was published, but even he now admits it is wrong.
Lindzen’s past “scientific papers” do NOT make his recent inaccurate op-eds accurate.
Science is about the science, not the person.
On Page 18 of todays Parade magazine there is an item “What the U.S. Missed in Iraq”
discussing the custom of Iraqi’s marrying cousins, being loyal to their clans and tribes and not an Iraqi government ……
I’d never heard or read that type of sociological commentary on Iraq — couldn’t find it on the web –
But I did find an article by the Air Forces’s Office of Special Investigation about Iraqi women and culture that was eye opening ;;
http://www.osi.andrews.af.mil/library/deploymentstress/otherlinks/iraq/people/iraqiwomen.asp
I found this item revealing:
“Prospective partners are often known to each other, and they frequently come from the same village and the same kin group. In Iraq, as in most Arab countries, it is preferable to marry a cousin, first, second, or third. If no cousins are available, one can marry outside the family, but the family of the would-be fianc? must be known. In 1996, 58% of Iraq?s citizens married their cousins. Marrying within the family can be reassuring in that the background, character, and financial condition of a future partner are well known. Also, if there is a dowry or other family inheritance, in-family marriage helps to keep the wealth within the family.”
Landsat photos of Greenland’s new island, and facts about the melting.
http://news.com.com/2300-11395_3-6179447-1.htmlExperts on global warming are warning that the giant glacier covering Greenland is melting rapidly and one of the best examples is the newly uncovered Warming Island.”
The WSJ Opinion page? Glenn Beck?
Fer Christ sake, you don’t have spend one second on either to know what each’ll say about global warming.
The WSJ is the best newspaper in the USA, hands down, but its Opinion Journal is a wholly separate entity the ownership of which is retained by the Dow family. Like Charles Koch, the OJ hates the EPA because all environmental regulations add cost to business in ways business owners like Koch don’t see a return on. Of course the Opinion Journal is going to publish Lindzen, the guy is owned by Exxon (or some such), teaches at MIT, has sterling academic credentials, and is willing to whore them if the price is right. That’s called “gold” by the WSJ OJ.
And Beck? He’s just nuts.
A Prediction You Can Take To The Bank: The WSJ’s Opinion Journal and Glenn Beck would each pay money to see Jane Fonda speak anywhere on July 4 before they’d EVER admit to global warming – no matter what the facts are.
Jesus, Beck. I’m dyin’ laughin’ now, heh.
Cosmos I hope you are planning to watch the cnn special on Wednesday. I didn’t know about it but am putting it on my schedule. We can discuss it on Thursday.
Kev I just love to read your posts. It’s to bad you have to live in a black and white world – or I guess I should say red and blue world.
NOTHING is that cut and dried. Get a life and widen your interests.
Ken I still have seen nothing that show Bush ever made that statement. I don’t believe undocumented sources no matter who they are talking about. It has become such a pasttime to believe that there is nothing good about Bush, ergo everything said bad about him must be true.
Cosmos I hope you are planning to watch the cnn special on Wednesday. I didn’t know about it but am putting it on my schedule. We can discuss it on Thursday.
Kev I just love to read your posts. It’s to bad you have to live in a black and white world – or I guess I should say red and blue world.
NOTHING is that cut and dried. Get a life and widen your interests.
Ken I still have seen nothing that show Bush ever made that statement. I don’t believe undocumented sources no matter who they are talking about. It has become such a pasttime to believe that there is nothing good about Bush, ergo everything said bad about him must be true.
sorry about the double post.
Are you folks watching 60 Minutes?? I hope so because George Tenant is on there exposing the Republicans for the liars they are.
Kev do you ever question the word of a man who had every opportunity to tell the truth and waited until he had a book to release and money to be made before he ’spilled his guts’. Even then he didn’t say we didn’t have reason to go in, he said we didn’t have a well planned attack.
WOULDN’T IT BE GREAT TO TURN ON THE TV AND HEAR ANYU.S. PRESIDENT(DEMOCRAT OR REPUBLICAN) GIVE THE FOLLOWING SPEECH …
My Fellow Americans: As you all know, the defeat of Iraq regime has been completed.
Since congress does not want to spend any more money on this war, our mission in Iraqis complete.
This morning I gave the order for a complete removal of all American forces from Iraq . This action will be complete within 30 days. It is now time to begin the reckoning.
Before me, I have two lists. One list contains the names of countries which have stood by our side during the Iraq conflict. This list is short. The United Kingdom , Spain , Bulgaria ,Australia , and Poland are some of the countries listed there.
The other list contains everyone not on the first list. Most of the world’s nations are on that list. My press secretary will be distributing copies of both lists later this evening.
Let me start by saying that effective immediately, foreign aid to those nations on List 2 ceases immediately and indefinitely. The money saved during the first year alone will pretty much pay for the costs of the Iraqi war.
The American people are no longer going to pour money into third world Hell-holes and watch those government leaders grow fat on corruption. Need help with a famine? Wrestling with an epidemic? Call France .
In the future, together with Congress, I will work to redirect this money toward solving the vexing social problems we still have at home.
On that note, a word to terrorist organizations. Screw with us and we will hunt you down and eliminate you and all your friends from the face of the earth.
Thirsting for a gutsy country to terrorize? Try France or maybe China.
I am ordering the immediate severing of diplomatic relations with France, Germany , and Russia . Thanks for all your help, comrades. We are retiring from NATO as well. Bon chance, mes amis.
I have instructed the Mayor of New York City to begin towing the many UN diplomatic vehicles located in Manhattan with more than two unpaid parking tickets to sites where those vehicles will be stripped, shredded and crushed. I don’t care about whatever treaty pertains to this. You creeps have tens of thousands of unpaid tickets. Pay those tickets tomorrow or watch your precious Benzes, Beamers and limos be turned over to some of the finest chop shops in the world. I love New York.
A special note to our neighbors. Canada is on List 2. Since we are likely to be seeing a lot more of each other, you folks might want to try not pissing us off for a change.
Mexico is also on List 2. President Fox and his entire corrupt government really need an attitude adjustment. I will have a couple extra tank and infantry divisions sitting around. Guess where I am going to put em? Yep, border security. So start doing something with your oil.
Oh, by the way, the United States is abrogating the NAFTA treaty – starting now. We are tired of the one-way highway. Immediately, we’ll be drilling for oil in Alaska- which will take care of this country’s oil needs for decades to come. If you’re an environmentalist who opposes this decision, I refer you to List 2 above: pick a country and move there. They care. It is time for America to focus on its own welfare and its own citizens. Some will accuse us of isolationism.. I answer them by saying, “darntootin.”
Nearly a century of trying to help folks live a decent life around the world has only earned us the undying enmity of just about everyone on the planet. It is time to eliminate hunger in America. It is time to eliminate homelessness in America. It is time to eliminate World Cup Soccer from America . To the nations on List 1, a final thought.
Thanks guys. We owe you and we won’t forget. To the nations on List 2, a final thought: You might want to learn to speak Arabic.
God bless America. Thank you and good night.
If you can read this, thank a teacher. If you are reading it in English, thank a soldier.
I got this in an email and thought all might enjoy since it is bi-partisan. There is a solution afterall.
ksgrm,
Glenn Beck has already proven that he’s not a credible source re climate change.
If you want to list the points Beck raises, I’ll try to debunk them for you. Or there may be some pages that debunk his show.
For perspective, I suggest you scan the dozen+ pages of the contributors to the AR4, in the annex at, http://ipcc-wg1.ucar.edu/wg1/wg1-report.html
ksgrm,
“Immediately, we’ll be drilling for oil in Alaska- which will take care of this country’s oil needs for decades to come.”
Arctic Refuge oil probably would NOT even replace other DECLINING domestic sources. And that’s assuming oil prices remain very high for the next 4 or 5 decades, and the geology there is “friendly”.
OPEC wants us to drill there, instead of doing the real solutions that would cut their profits — higher fuel efficiency, and alternatives.
Hilarious, ksgrm.
“No more World Cup Soccer!” LOL What are you, 5 years old? It’s hard to believe an adult could be so petulant (some adults do become peevish, though, as they age…just sayin’).
Here’s a shorter version: “waah waah waah it’s my ball and I’m taking it home to mommy now!”
LOL
Kev! Looks like Tenant was the culprit. Said the intelligence on Iraq and WMD was all his fault. What do you have to say for yourself now?
How about an apology to the President.
LOL, did Republican write that?
Because it sounds JUST LIKE something Republican would write.
LOL
“The money saved during the first year alone will pretty much pay for the costs of the Iraqi war.”
Thus far, the War on Iraq has cost about $677 billion.
Needless to say, we do not spend that amount on foreign aid and of course, no foreign aid goes to France or Germany.
The US spends about ten billion a year on foreign aid. At least a third of that goes to Israel.
Ten billion would hardly make a dent in the $677 billion spent on the Bush War of Choice.
How about an apology to the President.Posted by: Joe Williams | April 29, 2007 at 07:22 PM
I am sorry you are such a dipshit, Mr. President.
Better?
“Immediately, we’ll be drilling for oil in Alaska- which will take care of this country’s oil needs for decades to come”
It is estimated by industry experts that the oil in ANWR would be equal to six months of US consumption at best.
Six months is five percent of a decade.
Carl Bernstein is coming out with a book that picks apart Hillary Clinton and a career of lies she has.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article1719879.ece
“It is time to eliminate World Cup Soccer from America”
The World Cup is the largest sporting event in the world by far. America’s participation in the event is minimal at best. Several times as many people follow and watch World Cup Football events as watch the Super Bowl.
we’ll be drilling for oil in Alaska- which will take care of this country’s oil needs for decades to come
so would increasing the fuel economy on all our vehicles to 25MPG — re: Bill Bradley’s new book — but I believe he says it would relieve our reliance on foreign oil
point is:can ya throw in an energy policy that eventually gets us off our dependence on foreign oil totally — not just the next few decades ?
“…..ever question the word of a man who had every opportunity to tell the truth and waited until he had a book to release and money to be made before he ’spilled his guts’…..
grm that’s capitalism at work ?
Cosmos is going to have a credibility problem trying to debunk anything with this high school drop out status.
I wonder if he knows you can get a GED if one applies themselves? :)
There is no way we can fully rid ourselves from foreign oil. Even if America was fully dependent on it’s own supply, the world will still need oil from the OPEC cartel and oil barrel prices are reflective of the global market.
In this global economy that we live in, foreign oil will touch our lives no matter how far we are from it. From the cargo ship delivering goods from China to the US, from the VeeDubs coming in from Germany, foreign oil is being used.
Hey Republican! That’s a little crass. Debate him on policy. Yeah! He’s a Global Warming religious nut, but attacking him on decisions he made in the pass about High School is a little far.
The circumstances or decisions people made in their youth (before becoming an adult) isn’t fair play.
I’m not trying to be the blog police or anything, but just wanted to point out that your statement about Cosmos isn’t right.
The United States is no better than the fifteenth most generous (per capita)provider of foreign aid in the industrialized world.
Figures as of 2002.
If the US cut off all foreign aid, the impact would be felt almost exclusively by Israel.
So much for threatening to cut off foreign aid and paying for the Iraq War with the savings.
http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0930884.html
Read this and then decide for yourself whether Bush is incompetent, stupid or a combination of the two. This is his administration and he has no one to blame but himself.
http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1615848,00.html
For fun, let’s examine Republican’s credibility(sic).
He claimed that Lindzen has written “229 Scientific Publications”.
I pointed out that some of the 229 in his link were NOT “Scientific Publications”.
He replies that I have a “lack of reading comprehension”, and falsely claims that I’m a “high school drop out”.
I post specific examples from his link of 229 — the “Jewish Digest”, a memoir, WSJ op-eds, etc.. And others, the “comments”, etc..http://blogs.kansas.com/weblog/2007/04/open_thread_28.html#comment-67999030
Republican then replies with: “All op Ed pieces referenced by Cosmos. Not one of the 249 scientific papers from Lindznen.”
Republican not only believes that the “Jewish Digest”, a memoir, WSJ op-eds, etc. ARE ALL “scientific papers”, he adds ANOTHER 20 to the list.
And again… he falsely attacks my education. Which is all that he can do, since the climate science, and facts are NOT on his side.
Joe Williams,
“He’s a Global Warming religious nut, but attacking him on decisions he made in the pass about High School is a little far.”
Since YOU believe Republican’s VERY false claim about my lack of education, why don’t YOU post proof that I’m a H-S “dropout”?
Or ask Republican to do it.
WS Clark,
I suppose if you completely ignore the man power America gives in terms of volunteers and the military, you ignore the charitable giving, you ignore the peace and stability our military brings, you ignore things like our Air Craft carriers sitting off the coast of the Tsunami victims providing aid you would be ignorant enough to suggest that America is only as good as the 15th in countries giving…
Bush’s abstinence guru confirms that he is in the Washington Madam’s little black book and thus resigned April 27th.
These folks are so incompetent that they make the Keystone Cops look like Eliot Ness’ Untouchables.
http://www.slate.com/id/2165259/?nav=fix
The US ranks fourth in private giving among industrialized countries.
Check the chart and notice the difference between Norway and the USA.
What’s your point, Nathan? The comment was made that cutting off foreign aid could pay for the Iraq War in a year – obviously not. That was the point – not some overblown nonsense about our military…….
Cosmos refuses to give his degree or education because he has none to offer.
No Joe, it’s not crass, it’s what Cosmos does everyday to people that disagree with him.
Just like he calls it Global Warming… But not all of the Globe is warming. Or that Antarctica is melting…but it’s only a few ice shelves on the northwestern part of antarctica.
Cosmos has a fuzzy memory when it comes to cyclic Global Climate change. By golly there were ice ages and warming periods. None of this could be happening today according to Cosmos. Can’t be the shifting of earth’s axis, can’t be lag in the heat v. CO2, can’t be Poles shifting, can’t be El Nino or La Nina…
Ice Bergs retreating and advancing, happened 10s of thousands of times before, but according to Cosmos, it can’t happen now. The sea level has retreated and risen many times before, but can’t happen now according to Cosmos. How did those Islands get there southwest of Alaska?
Did the Native Americans walk on water to get to Alaska or was it a land bridge? There is actually land underneath Antarctica and Greenland was actually able to be farmed. Polar bear populations are growing not shrinking on the whole. Cosmos shows a photo of a single polar bear adrift on a piece of ice and calls it science.
Yes, the poor lad needs an education.
“Did the Native Americans walk on water to get to Alaska or was it a land bridge?”
There is no archaeological evidence to support Native Americans arriving in North America via a Bering Strait land bridge, further, there is no logical reason for them no have made such a migration. There are no fossils, bones or oral traditions to support the claim of migration via land.
Suggestion of a land bridge migration are strictly speculation without evidence.
The article is entitled Bush v. the Polar Bears. I am rooting for the bears.
“The proposal correctly notes that bears in western Hudson Bay have declined by 22 percent since 1987 and that mortality of cubs is rising, while the weight of adult bears is declining.”
http://www.abqtrib.com/news/2007/jan/09/commentary-president-bush-v-polar-bears/
Back to the arena; it’s not communist or socialist or even libertarian, it’s fascism, pure and simple- the powers that be must provide bread and circuses to distract the populace from all the incompetance and corruption, and the arena provides the circus. Where’s the bread?
Jed — good posts this morning..
Bread ? “…..let em eat cake …”
There is every reason to believe people walked from Asia (actually, all the way from Africa) via the Bering strait. DNA tests on American natives show they have the same gene found in a tribe in Africa. The really interesting find was the favt ALL people of the earth have this same gene that can be traced back to the same tribe.
It appears the earth went through a period of intense changes that wiped out all but anywhere from 100 to 1000 of the total population of the planet. Seems we’re all related.
Good morning, brothers and sisters.
WS just in case you didn’t notice that letter I posted yesterday was one of those things sent around on the internet. It wasn’t written seriously. We know the green people will never let us find our own oil.
And the numbers you posted about American foreign aid are so far off the charts they are ridiculous. American always give first, last and the largest. Whether it is from the government or the American people, we are the most giving people in the world. To bad it isn’t given back when we have a tradgedy.
J M could this big event that wiped out almost the entire population have been because of something like a big flood?